Our loveable purple lunch box known as the GameCube may be a thing of the past now that Wii has successfully taken over the world, but we'd be fools to forget its abundant array of kick-ass games it brought to the table (especially since they're all backwards compatible).

For that reason, IGN has teamed up to deliver our Top 25 lists for each of our last-generation systems (may they rest in piece), so that we can take one final look at the gems we ignored so much of our social life for, and give you all one more chance to bitch and moan about our personal favorites. Ladies and gentlement, we present to you our Top 25 GameCube Games of All Time.

Here's how it works. The IGN GameCube team has (after much kicking and screaming) assembled a list of our top 25 GameCube games. Each day we'll be divulging five of our picks for the GCN's top games, and allow you to enjoy the drama by use of the IGN boards, Cube Mail, and Matt Casamassina's home address (in a perfect world). By the end of the week we'll have our full Top 25 GameCube Games of All Time list, and all will be well in the world.

If you disagree with our list or would simply like to bitch about one of your favorite games that was left off by the time the countdown has ended on Friday, go ahead and write in to the GameCube team.

In any case, we're beginning the countdown today with numbers 25-21 on the list and will be revealing five more each day of this week.

Synopsis: After years of watching the Playstation crowd getting game after game, GCN owners were treated to a beautifully-crafted remake of one of the greatest games in our industry's history. As a joint collaboration between Nintendo, Silicon Knights, and publisher Konami, Snake was given a second life on Nintendo's consoles, including new story elements and weapons, as well as an immersive first-person mode. Aside from being a much-needed addition to the mature-rated games on GameCube, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes showed that Konami still had faith in the console, as it became one of the top cult classic titles on the system, and paved the way for Snake's appearance in the highly anticipated Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii.

Other games influenced by Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes: The ability to use first-person control has existed in every Metal Gear game since Twin Snakes. In addition, Snake is now making a headlining appearance in Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii.

Synopsis: We may not have gotten a traditional Donkey Kong game to go with Super Mario Sunshine on the ole GameCube, but the crazy ape himself did make quite a few appearances on the console in the form of a couple bongo-based titles that helped set the console apart from its competitors. Along with Donkey Konga, DK Jungle Beat came packaged with a set of bongos, and while the gameplay was anything but traditional, it was an impressive product with a ton of appeal towards the casual and hardcore crowd alike. With all actions in the game assigned to two gigantic buttons, DK Jungle Beat was a sign of things to come from Nintendo, with simplicity being the key ingredient to innovative and inviting gameplay.

Other games influenced by DK Jungle Beat: DK Bongo Blast (Wii), as well as any future super-casual Nintendo properties such as Wii Sports or Wii Play. Simplicity is key, and Jungle Beat helped prove that.

Synopsis: If you were a die-hard, chances are you felt at least a little left out on GameCube. In fact, if it wasn't for a few essential titles such as Skies of Arcadia, Tales of Symphonia, and Baten Kaitos the console would be void of any true RPGs for fans to sink their teeth into. Fortunately Namco supplied not just one, but two Baten Kaitos games for GameCube, each with a captivating story, intriguing card-based battle system, beautiful music, and an impressive art style. Baten Kaitos may have been one of the only role-playing games on Nintendo's purple little box, but it was a success never-the-less, delivering a Cube-exclusive franchise that hardcore gamers could get behind.

Synopsis: The Game Boy Advance had Advance Wars, and GameCube owners have Battalion Wars. Following in its portable predecessor's footsteps, Battalion Wars hit GameCube in a stylistic and tongue-in-cheek fashion, only to have its overall sales climb to an unimpressive point. Despite sales, the game has lived on from support of Nintendo's more hardcore fan base, allowing for a Wii sequel later this year. The game combines action and strategy with the classic style of the Advance Wars series, dropping gamers into a world that lends itself to the hit series Pikmin (if each of the critters rampaged through war-torn terrain with bazookas and automatic rifles). While Fire Emblem retained its similar gameplay mechanic on Cube, embracing only a more mature look, Battalion wars delivered the exact opposite, evolving the franchise on GameCube and beyond.

Synopsis: In a move of pure genius, SEGA put a monkey in a freakin' ball; not once, but twice on GameCube with similar results (we won't count Super Monkey Ball Adventure… pure evil it is). What more can really be said? The Monkey Ball franchise is awesome. One part monkey, one part ball, Monkey Ball is yet another title that showed off the simple side of gaming, as it required only an analog stick, a beer helmet with cans of Mountain Dew on either side, and those surgical tools used to keep your eyes from blinking. SEGA took everything we loved from the first game, added a ton of new mini-games and a whole new story mode. Monkey Ball is an amazing party game, and an even better old-school throwback to the Marble Madness series.